Ukraine must develop a strategy for integrating its agricultural sector into the European Union in such a way that its accession does not create problems for farmers in other member states, State Secretary at the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Małgorzata Gromadzka said during a panel discussion at the Conference on Ukraine's Recovery in Gdańsk.
"Your accession should not come at the expense of other countries," Gromadzka said, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
She noted that Poland spent 13 years preparing for accession to the European Union, having begun the process as early as 1991, and that the adaptation of legislation to European standards was a key prerequisite for integration, particularly in the agricultural sector.
Gromadzka said during preparations for Ukraine's accession to the EU, it is necessary to take into account differences in the structure of agricultural production among member states and to assess the risks for individual sectors.
The State Secretary said the average size of a farm in Poland is about 11 hectares, whereas in Ukraine, average farms cultivate between 50 and 500 hectares, and some of the land is used by large agricultural enterprises with land holdings of several hundred thousand hectares. That is why, she said, the integration process must take into account the differences in the structure of agriculture in the two countries.
Gromadzka said Polish farmers also face high costs for fuel and fertilizers, as well as competition from imports; therefore, during Ukraine's integration into the European market, it is important to ensure a balance of interests among all parties and to maintain food security.
